Liberal Studies

Program Mission Statement

This degree program recognizes the creative possibilities of the traditional liberal arts and sciences. Its purpose is to assist a student of vision to arrange a course of study designed to illuminate a particular interdisciplinary topic, theme, or concept. In this way, a student may design a major that fits his or her academic and career goals.

The program consists of a total of 47 - 48 credits with 32 credits in a broad multidisciplinary core and 15 - 16 credits in a more focused concentration area.

Program Goals/Learning Outcomes

In providing students with the essential foundation of a liberal arts education across a variety of disciplines, the Liberal Studies program seeks:

• to provide students the opportunity to design a broad-based course of study that focuses on more than one of the traditional Liberal Arts and Sciences disciplines;
• to train students in analytical, interpretive, communicative, and critical thinking skills that are valuable not only in graduate study, but also across a wide spectrum of career fields;
• to serve Education students by providing a Liberal Arts and Sciences background.

Upon completion of the degree requirements, Liberal Studies majors will be able to:

• articulate an appropriate research issue or topic and use appropriate methods and materials to address it;
• demonstrate an understanding of the range and limits of the issue or topic through written work;
• present effectively the findings of that research, including appropriate conclusions;
• demonstrate an understanding of the research project’s relevance to the student’s overall course of study;
• demonstrate an understanding of the social relevance and broader application of the student’s research project.

Program Assessment

Since the Liberal Studies curriculum draws upon courses from many different departments, program assessment will occur primarily through the evaluation of students’ LIB 4810 Liberal Studies Thesis projects and through their timely completion of the Vermont State College Graduation Standards. These standards are embedded in selected courses across the curriculum. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to complete these standards within his or her concentration area if not met elsewhere.